Bats of the United States and Canada

Guano

30 bats of the united states and canada Guano Bat droppings or “guano” make excellent fertilizer. Certain caves are mined for this valuable material, and some reportedly once contained thousands of tons of guano until much of it was removed for use as fertilizer. More than 90 million kilograms (100,000 tons) of guano were mined from Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico in the early 1900s. During the Civil War, numerous caves in the southeastern United States that were occupied by bats, often referred to as “peter caves,” Scientists collect guano samples in Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama, to assess levels of pesticides in remains of prey. Troy L. Best recto runninghead 31 were mined by the Confederate army for their nitrogen-rich earth and guano. This material was used to produce saltpeter (potassium nitrate) for use in manufacturing gunpowder. Remains of the saltpeter mining operation can be found in caves throughout the region. At a cave in Arkansas that is now on Buffalo National River lands, the Confederate army constructed 14 buildings and several pieces of machinery in 1862. That operation continued until January 10, 1863, when it was captured and destroyed by Union soldiers of the Iowa cavalry. Cave Mountain Cave, Buffalo National River, Arkansas, like many caves in the southeastern United States, was mined for saltpeter by the Confederates during the Civil War. The nitrogen-rich earth and guano were used to manufacture gunpowder. The cave is protected by the National Park Service and serves as a hibernaculum for large numbers of endangered gray bats (Myotis grisescens). Michael J. Harvey guano 31 ...